This invention relates generally to pouring spouts and more particularly to pouring spouts that incorporate a droplet-retention structure.
Thick or viscous household products such as salad oil, syrup, honey and the like, are difficult to pour cleanly from ordinary containers; and in the past, various devices and specially adapted containers have been suggested to obtain anti-drip properties and prevent the accumulation of undesirable, sticky deposits on outside container surfaces. One prior art type of pouring spout adapted to be installed on a bottle is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,749,253 whereas a specially adapted pitcher is described in U.S. Pat. No. 15,128. The antidrip pouring spouts of the prior art, however, have generally required spaced lips, one overlying the other to convey terminal droplets of liquid back into the container. Such constructions have frustrated the economical manufacture of the spouts, as for example in a plastic injection molding operation.
It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a dripless pouring spout and cooperative closure cap therefore which are arranged for rapid, economical manufacture from thermoplastic resinous material.
A more general object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved dripless spout construction.
Another object of the invention is to provide a dripless pouring spout and closure cap combination which have a self-cleaning action on re-assembly.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a dripless pouring spout and closure cap construction which protects the container contents against spillage.
A further object of the invention is to provide a dripless pouring spout and closure cap combination in which the anti-drip element is caused to take permanent deformation from an as-molded condition to the use position on assembly of the spout and cap, for example, after filling of the cooperating bottle or container and subsequent storing of the same.
These and other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the following descriptions.